By Marvin Moore November 12, 2023
Fantasy football has created millions of “thirtysomething” know-it-alls who have no clue about rating NFL talents. These delusional pups cannot overcome their biases and deceitful stats when evaluating their favorite players with rose-colored contact lenses. It’s humorous and sad at the same time.
I was dumbfounded this week when a New England Patriots fan site had the nerve to post on social media that Mac Jones and Trevor Lawrence were similar quarterbacks. Comparing Jones to Lawrence is like comparing FOX News to a legitimate news network. When it comes to talent, Jones is not even in the same area code as Lawrence. But more than a few Boston knuckleheads think otherwise.
It’s apparent that some fanatics in New England did not get the memo that stats can be massaged into whatever you like. Sure, Jones (18-22) and Lawrence (18-24) have similar records since entering the league in 2021. But if you take a closer look, a host of factors make these won-loss records highly misleading.
Jones inherited a squad that finished 7-9 the previous season and lost four games by seven or fewer points. Embarrassed by their first losing record in two decades, the Patriots spent a record $163 million in guaranteed money to sign a bevy of free agents, including Matthew Judon, Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Jalen Mills, and Nelson Agholor. Jones led the Patriots to a 10-7 card but has won just eight of 23 games since his rookie season.
Lawrence took over a squad that finished 1-15 before his arrival and was riding a 15-game losing streak. The 6-foot-6 Golden Boy suffered through a dreadful 3-14 rookie campaign that saw first-year head coach Urban Meyer dismissed after 13 games. However, unlike Jones, Lawrence has posted a 15-10 record over the past two seasons, including 11 wins in his last 13 regular season outings.
Pats fans like to complain about a leaky offensive line and a weak group of pass-catchers to defend Jones’s inability to win games. But those are just reasons stuffed with lies. Jones has a noodle arm and consistently makes questionable decisions. He is also a “dirty” player who would fit in nicely with the likes of Conrad Dobler, Vontaze Burfict, and Ndamukong Suh.
Jones has been sacked 16 times this season in 304 dropbacks. A whopping 21 quarterbacks have been dropped more than New England’s water pistol. I feel sorry for Sam Howell, who has absorbed 44 sacks. But even under such constant pressure, the second-year gunslinger has collected more passing yards and touchdown throws (4) than Jones. Go figure.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is cooking in H-Town with Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Dalton Schultz, combining for 97 catches for 1,435 yards and 12 scores. The Texans’ offensive line has also been plagued by injuries and were missing four starters in Week 2. But the 22-year-old Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runner, who has been sacked 18 times, finished the game 30-of-47 for 384 yards and two scoring passes despite getting sacked on six occasions.
During the week leading up to the Patriots Week 6 encounter with the Raiders, the Patriots split reps, with Bailey Zappe and Will Grier getting their fair share. There is no quarterback controversy in Jacksonville. But Jones only has the starting gig because Bill Belichick has no better options. There’s a reason Lawrence was the top pick in the same draft that Jones was selected. It’s called elite talent.
Surprisingly, a fan base blessed to watch “The Goat” for 19 seasons cannot tell the difference between a franchise quarterback and a backup. But I am not so naive as to lump all Patriots fans in the nutty boat. It’s a good bet that the older folks and some astute youngsters clearly see that Jones will never lead New England back to the Promised Land.
If the Jags called the Pats with an offer to swap starting quarterbacks, New England would agree in a heartbeat. But if the Pats offered the Jags the same deal, Jacksonville would think they were getting Punk’d.
This new generation of football fans is blinded by their biases and statistics. Comparing Jones to Lawrence is both idiotic and insane
